New Bangkok landmark on Chao Phraya banks

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- Six communities with 268 families may be evicted from 7-kilometer-long banks of the Chao Phraya River to make way for the construction of a new landmark of walkways and bike lanes.

The project of building of the seven-km paths on both sides of the river banks from Rama VII Bridge to Pinklao Bridge was discussed in details in a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Friday.

Following the meeting, a source said the meeting assigned the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to ponder two options for dealing with the six communities.

The communities may be evicted to pave way for the development or the project may be designed in a way that the communities would not be affected. The designing of the project would be completed within this year, the source added.

The meeting was joined by BMA Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra and representatives of other government agencies concerned, including the Navy, the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Culture Ministry, the Royal Thai Police and the Office of the Council of State.

Following the one-and-a-half-hour meeting, Sukhumbhand said the meeting agreed on setting up four sub-committees to implement the project.

The BMA governor said if the 268 families have to be relocated, the government will find them new houses.

Initially, the meeting agreed in principle to build 20-metre-wide path on both sides of the river that will be used for walkway and bike lane. The paths will be built from the flood embankment into the river, h added.

The four sub-committees will spend about five months to study the project’s impact, Sukhumbhand added.

[bassman]

Hopefully the homeowners will get fair compensation for their riverfront properties, development comes at a cost and does need to happen. But often times in banana republics peasants end up on the short end of the stick.

[Gunna]

Hopefully the homeowners will get fair compensation for their riverfront properties, development comes at a cost and does need to happen. But often times in banana republics peasants end up on the short end of the stick.

I read in another news article that many had built houses illegally and didn't have chanotes for the land the houses were built on, and they would also get some new accommodation ( without river view )

[Suradit69]

Hopefully the homeowners will get fair compensation for their riverfront properties, development comes at a cost and does need to happen. But often times in banana republics peasants end up on the short end of the stick.

"But often times in banana republics peasants end up on the short end of the stick."

Thailand isn't a republic.

And issues of just compensation for land taken by governments, often benefiting the wealthy and screwing the less powerful, extends beyond those countries that grow bananas as a major crop ...

When the government exercises its power of eminent domain to take private property, the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that the property’s owners receive “just compensation,” which the Supreme Court has defined as equal to the property’s fair market value. Today, a well-established consensus exists on three basic propositions about this fair market value standard. First, the standard systematically undercompensates owners of taken property, because market prices do not reflect owners’ personal valuations of particular pieces of property. Second, this undercompensation is unfair to those owners ...

http://www.columbialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lee-Brian-Angelo.pdf

[USNret]

I don't get it. There's no "big money" behind bike lanes & walkways. So who is really pushing this project? Generally, the politicians won't move forward on any real initiative unless someone with deep pockets is helping it along.

[otherstuff1957]

I don't get it. There's no "big money" behind bike lanes & walkways. So who is really pushing this project? Generally, the politicians won't move forward on any real initiative unless someone with deep pockets is helping it along.

There are quite a few upscale malls and restaurants along the river. At present these malls and restaurants are located next to corregated tin shacks. If those shacks were replaced with walkways they would get more customers.

Also, BKK is sinking at a rate of about 2 cm per year. Dikes that could prevent flooding could be integrated into the walkways more easily than trying to build a flood barrier in someones living room.

[DKUNPUTAF713]

Not a " banana republic"???

How about a "failed state"!!!!!

[ratcatcher]

Not a " banana republic"???

How about a "failed state"!!!!!

No, sorry, that won't cut it either.

failed state

noun

noun: failed state; plural noun: failed states

a state whose political or economic system has become so weak that the government is no longer in control.

Thailand may not have a democratically elected government, but much to your chagrin, this government is firmly in control for the time being.

For your edification:http://ffp.statesindex.org/rankings-2013-sortable